Teaching an attitude of gratitude

Monday

Nov 26, 2012 at 12:01 AMNov 27, 2012 at 9:28 AM

Years ago I lived as an intentional pessimist. I expected things to go wrong, promises to be broken, traffic to be heavy, and life to be difficult. I honestly felt well prepared by viewing life this way. I was never disappointed when things went wrong, because I expected it. However, shortly after making a life-changing decision for my family, I made another decision to leave my pessimism behind and view the glass as half full, rather than half empty. I intentionally enjoyed every day to the fullest, looked for the positive in every disappointment, and began to teach my children how to do the same. It took some practice to “act as if (things were great)” but within a few months, I was able to find and appreciate the silver lining in every cloud. I pointed out those silver linings, to ensure that my children would grow up searching for silver, no matter what struggle lay ahead of them. It was amazing to feel the change in attitude which resinated throughout the house. Look for things in every day that you appreciate, and say how grateful you are for those things, right out loud! Ask your child what he is grateful for throughout the day, so he begins to learn an attitude of gratitude at a young age. Don’t wait for New Year’s Eve to make a resolution to live happier. Brighten your spirit, and help your child grow with attitude. Read the entire article “We all should give thanks every day”.

Years ago I lived as an intentional pessimist. I expected things to go wrong, promises to be broken, traffic to be heavy, and life to be difficult. I honestly felt well prepared by viewing life this way. I was never disappointed when things went wrong, because I expected it. However, shortly after making a life-changing decision for my family, I made another decision to leave my pessimism behind and view the glass as half full, rather than half empty. I intentionally enjoyed every day to the fullest, looked for the positive in every disappointment, and began to teach my children how to do the same. It took some practice to “act as if (things were great)” but within a few months, I was able to find and appreciate the silver lining in every cloud. I pointed out those silver linings, to ensure that my children would grow up searching for silver, no matter what struggle lay ahead of them. It was amazing to feel the change in attitude which resinated throughout the house. Look for things in every day that you appreciate, and say how grateful you are for those things, right out loud! Ask your child what he is grateful for throughout the day, so he begins to learn an attitude of gratitude at a young age. Don’t wait for New Year’s Eve to make a resolution to live happier. Brighten your spirit, and help your child grow with attitude. Read the entire article “We all should give thanks every day”.

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